Nadine

Nadine
Nadine
I have to hurry.
"Shawn! Where are you?" I scream, my voice echoing through the house. By now, everyone must have heard me, but I don’t care.
Finally, he appears, his little face filled with confusion.
"Let’s go," I say, stretching out my hand. He takes it without hesitation.
My heart pounds as I rush him to the car, my mind racing. Logan is going into surgery.
"God, please let him pull through."
I strap Shawn into his seat, making sure he’s secure before climbing into the driver’s side. I know I need to be there for Logan, but I also need to make sure Shawn is safe. That means taking him to my mom’s.
The last time I saw her was after I got back from Daniel’s, and I don’t know how she’ll react to me showing up unannounced. But I have no other choice.
The drive is long, coming from Logan’s place. Every minute feels like an eternity. I glance at Shawn and see that he’s already fallen asleep, his tiny chest rising and falling peacefully.
Finally, I pull into my mom’s driveway.
There’s another car parked outside.
Who could be visiting her this late?
I step out, carefully lifting Shawn in my arms. He’s growing so fast—my arms ache from carrying him, but I hold on tighter.
I walk up to the door and knock softly.
A moment later, it creaks open.
My mom stands there, staring at me like she’s been caught doing something she shouldn’t.
Her eyes widened with shock.
I glanced past her, my curiosity piqued. What is she hiding?
My mom’s face is flushed red.
“Mum, are you okay?” I ask, concern creeping into my voice as I take in her appearance. She’s wearing a pair of shorts and a tank top—something she wouldn’t normally wear unless she was alone.
Before she can answer, a deep voice comes from inside the house.
“Martha, is that the—”
The words cut off, swallowed by shock.
Gabriel.
My father.
Standing there.
In nothing but his briefs.
“Jesus fucking Christ,” I muttered, running a hand down my face, covering it in pure mortification.
Gabriel—my father—is here. In his underwear.
My mom’s eyes darted between me and him, clearly caught off guard. I guess she thought I was the delivery guy bringing their pizza.
I take a deep breath, pushing past the awkwardness. Not my business.
“I hate to ruin your fun, Mum, but I need you to look after Shawn for a couple of days.”
She hesitates like she’s unsure of something. My heart races. Please don’t say no.
Gabriel, now fully dressed, walks out with a blank expression as if I hadn’t just caught him half-naked in my mother’s house.
I roll my eyes. “Hi, Gabriel. Good to see you’re dressed.”
Then, before I can stop myself, the words tumble out.
“Were you two screwing?”
The room falls silent.
Their eyes widened in pure embarrassment.
Good. They should feel just as awkward as I do right now.
“You know what? Don’t bother explaining. It’s obvious.”
I shake my head and exhale sharply. “Logan was in an accident. He’s going into surgery in the next hour.”
My mother’s expression softens instantly. “Logan? Are you two back together?”
Of course, she knows about him. I never told her, but she and Logan have always had a good relationship. He must have confided in her.
“No, we’re not back together.” I pause. “Not yet.”
Her brows lift slightly. “So, there’s a possibility?”
“Mum, can we not do this right now?” I sigh, placing Shawn gently into her arms. “I have to go.”
I press a kiss to her forehead and glance at Gabriel, who’s still standing stiffly by the door.
“Bye, love,” Gabriel finally says.
I don’t reply.
I bolt for the door, checking the time as I slide into the driver’s seat.
Thirty minutes gone.
I only have thirty more before Logan’s surgery.
I grip the steering wheel and let out a breath I didn’t realize I was holding.
"Okay, you can do this."
I drive as fast as I can toward the hospital, my fingers gripping the steering wheel. My only focus is getting there in time. I need to do whatever it takes to speed up the surgery.
Thankfully, there’s no traffic.
Soon, I’m pulling into the hospital driveway. The moment I park, I quickly lock the car and rush toward the entrance. My legs move on their own, fueled by urgency and fear.
As soon as I step inside, the receptionist’s face lights up in relief.
"Mrs. West! Thank goodness you made it in time," she says.
"Thanks," I replied quickly, scanning her face for any sign of good news.
"The doctor would like to see you before the surgery begins," she informs me.
I barely nod before bolting down the hallway toward the doctor’s office. But as I turn the corner, I stop dead in my tracks.
Logan’s family is here.
Florence. Laura. Lily. Lucas. And their father.
My heart skips a beat as their eyes lock onto me. Do they know?
Do they know about everything that has happened between Logan and me? Do they blame me for this?
The last time we were all in the same room together, Logan had proposed. I had said yes. Back when everything still felt right—before it all fell apart.
This moment feels eerily similar to the last time Logan was in the hospital. Back when Samantha tried to pin the blame on me.
I scan their faces one by one, searching for judgment. For blame. For anger.
But I see none. Instead, Logan’s father steps forward. And what he does next shocks me to my core.
I wasn’t expecting it. Not even in the slightest.